Second Chances
by fireflower314
Summary: After losing Jonathan and Sarah, Lizzie feels alone- until Coop decides to take care of her. Over the next year they fall for each other again, but he doesn't know about her part in Tammy's death... AU after Jonathan's departure. Cozzie.
1. Shining Armor

**"Shining Armor"**

_This is a set of fifteen shorts, all set in the same au- one in which Lizzie hadn't been basically abandoned after Sarah's death. In the long run it's Coop/Lizzie, but characters such as Reva, Alan, Ashlee, Buzz, Ava, Daisy and Billy all appear in several as well. I got the idea for all fifteen based on a Live Journal prompt community called 15 Hugs, even though the __comm__ is actually for anime __fanfiction__. A list of the prompts, in the order that I used them, will be posted on the author page._

_Canon?: __Pretty much up through Jonathan's supposed death it's canon, and then everything after that veers from the timeline. I may get some details wrong, since I didn't watch the last month or two of the baby storyline (the destruction of all the characters involved, particularly Lizzie, made me too angry to) so I may get some details wrong. For instance__ I'm not sure where Lizzie lived after Jonathan divorced her, but I'm pretending Reva let her stay there__ after he died_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything relating to __Guiding__ Light, as much as I would love to officially write for the show. This is purely a work of fiction, written for fun rather than profit._

* * *

When Coop hears what has happened to Jonathan and Sarah, he's stunned. He knows all too well what it's like to deal with Alan, and he knows how dangerous it can get, but even after Tammy's death he still hadn't expected Jonathan to end up as collateral damage. 

The next thing he knows, he's in his car, only able to think about getting to Lizzie. He's barely spoken to her since their breakup, first too angry and then too caught up in his relationship with Ava, but Ava's gone now and Lizzie needs him. Maybe not him specifically, but he knows that she needs someone, and he still can't think of anyone he can count on to come through for her. Certainly not her family.

He knows that she and Jonathan were living with Reva- at least until Jonathan had divorced Lizzie and married Tammy- so he heads for Cross Creek. Even if Lizzie has moved out, gone back to the Spaulding mansion or to the Beacon with the rest of Springfield, Reva can still tell him where to find her.

But when he gets there Lizzie's car is in the driveway, and Reva's is as well. He knocks on the door, suddenly nervous but unable to turn back. It's that knight in shining armor thing again- he's always been a sucker for a damsel in distress. His romantic relationships especially have a habit of starting out that way. Not that he plans it that way; it just has a habit of happening.

Reva answers the door. Her eyes are red-rimmed but overall she seems more stable than Coop had thought she would. Considering that this is Reva Shayne, he briefly wonders about that but dismisses the thought in favor of more urgent concerns. "Is Lizzie here?" he asks, shuffling from one foot to the other. "I… I know that I haven't been around much- at all, actually- but I couldn't just stay away. I mean, not after…"

Reva nods, studying him. "Thanks for coming, Coop. She's in her room." She points him in the right direction and he sets off, momentarily wishing he'd brought something with him. He knows that his father will probably drop off some food later, but that doesn't count. He's stuck walking into this situation empty-handed.

When Coop gets to Lizzie's room he sees that the door is slightly ajar, so instead of knocking he lightly pushes it open. He finds the small young woman curled up on the bed, facing away from the door. He can see her shoulders shaking.

Suddenly he's not doing so well himself. It hadn't quite clicked into his head yet, how awful Jonathan and Sarah's deaths must have been. The car wreck, the fire… At least it had been over in an instant, but that was such small comfort, even for someone like him who hadn't been especially close to either of them.

But he could have been. He'd spent weeks thinking that Sarah was his daughter. Maybe that was why he'd distanced himself from Lizzie even after he'd gotten over how she'd lied to him- he'd still been hurt by it. He'd still felt like he'd lost something incredibly precious, even if it had left him free to be with Ava.

Now that little girl he'd once thought of as his is dead, her father along with her. And Lizzie is alone.

"Lizzie," he manages to say, his voice a bit choked up now.

She gasps, jerks to look back at him. There are tears rolling down her cheeks, and she raises a hand to wipe them away. He sees that she's clutching a teddy bear in her arms. "Coop?" she asks, obviously shocked. Her eyes hold the emptiness, the broken sorrow that he'd been expecting to find in Reva's. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard about what happened." He feels awkward now. What _is_ he doing here? If she's with Reva, then at least she still has someone. She doesn't need to have an ex-boyfriend hanging around. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

Lizzie shakes her head slightly, her grip on the stuffed animal tightening. "How do you think I'm doing?" she asks, laughing bitterly. "I thought I could have a family. Even after Jonathan left me, I thought…" She shakes her head again. "But not now. Now I have nothing."

"That's not true, Lizzie," he says urgently. He sits on the bed next to her, his awkwardness vanishing now that he has something to say. She looks away from him but he touches her shoulder, trying to keep her attention. "You have your family, and your friends-"

"My family? Daddy's gone, Granddad's the one…" She choked up, then went on. "Mom's the one that took Sarah from me. Reva's only letting me stay here because I have nowhere else to go. Sarah was the only real family I had left, and she's… she's…" She dissolved into sobs, crying too hard to speak.

Utterly defenseless in the face of such agony, he follows his instincts and pulls her into his arms. Lizzie clutches at him, knuckles white, her tears scalding his shirt. The teddy bear she was holding is lying on the bed next to them where she dropped it, its glassy eyes staring sightlessly up at the ceiling. Coop shudders a bit and looks away, concentrates on rubbing Lizzie's back soothingly. No matter what happened between them in the past, he's here for her now and knows he can't leave her again. She lied to him, betrayed him and broke his heart, but she's still his first love and she needs him more than anyone ever has.

And he could never turn his back on a woman in need.


	2. One Step Closer

**Disclaimer:** I have nothing to do with Guiding Light, and I am not profiting from this story in any way.

**One More Step**

Coop rubbed his chin, eyeing the notepad in front of him.

It was only three days until Valentine's Day, and of course he hadn't thought of getting gifts for everyone until last night. Now that he was making a list, though, it was harder than he had thought it would be.

"I know too many women," he muttered, and gulped down his coffee.

"Don't we all," Buzz said dryly, sitting on the stool next to him and swiping his notepad. Coop watched, leaning his forehead against his palm, as Buzz looked over the list of names.

"Frank?" he asked in amusement.

Coop laughed. "I'm not just listing women, don't worry."

"I hope not, since I'm on it," Buzz said mildly, passing it back to him. "You're really going all out this year. What's the occasion?"

He shook his head, looking over the names again. "Things have been… complicated lately," he commented, his voice low. "I thought it would help everyone feel better." He looked up at his father, watched him smile.

"That's a good idea. I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to use chocolate to bribe me into giving you the day off."

He laughed. "Not this time, Dad."

"Oh, good, because you're already scheduled to work at CO2."

"Slave driver."

"Don't forget how you're getting the money for these gifts," he retorted.

Coop grinned. "I'll try not to." He looked down at his list and took a deep breath. "Do you think I should get Ava anything? I want to, but I don't know if she'll let me."

Buzz smiled slightly. "It's your choice, not mine. You could just give it to her as a gift between friends."

"Not when she's with Alan Michael," he said miserably.

Buzz got up from the stool, put a hand on his shoulder. "And since when does a Cooper just give up against a Spaulding?" Coop looked up and Buzz nodded encouragingly. "All you can do is try, Coop. I can't promise that it will turn out the way you want it to, but at least you'll _know_, right?"

"You're right, I have to try," he said slowly. "Maybe she'll accept it. Maybe we can even figure out how to get along again."

"Now let's not get carried away," Buzz teased, then quickly squeezed his son's shoulder. "Good luck, Coop."

-

He showed up at work on Valentine's Day and found that Ashlee was already at CO2, talking to a customer he didn't recognize. The person walked away just before he reached the counter, so he didn't have to worry about interrupting anything when he set a gift-wrapped box in front of his bubbly blonde coworker.

She dropped the dishtowel she'd been using. "Is that for me?" she gasped, obviously shocked. "But, Coop, I didn't get you anything! You should have said something yesterday, and I could have…" Her fingertips tentatively touched the dark red bow.

He smiled, quickly shrugged. "It's not a big deal, Ashlee," he promised. "Just- you're not allergic to chocolate or caramel, are you?"

She blinked, then laughed. "Life wouldn't be worth living without chocolate," she replied. She made quick work of the gift wrap, opened the lid and popped one of the bite-sized candies into her mouth. "Mm, Coop, these are delicious! Come on, try one-"

"No, I couldn't, I bought them for-"

"Coop, you do realize who you're talking to, don't you?" she asked with a self-deprecating smile. "It won't kill me if I share a few." She held the box out, waving it in front of him. "Come on, you know you want one…"

He gave her a look, but couldn't help laughing. "All right, but I'm only taking one, okay? And don't give them out to everyone, either. I bought them for _you_."

"All right, but you're going to regret saying that," she warned him, scooping another candy out as he did. She lightly tapped hers against his. "Cheers," she added, laughing.

"Cheers," he echoed, amused, and tasted the candy. "This _is_ good."

"Told you so," she said smugly, devouring two more. "But you don't get to have any more, since you promised not to- and now I'm going to have to figure out how to keep from eating them all right now."

He helpfully put the lid back on the box for her. "I can guard it for you," he offered, tucking it under the counter. "You're on your own after that, though."

She sighed. "There's always Doris. I'm sure she'll think of something." Then she brightened, smiling at him again. "So who else are you handing out chocolate to, Cupid?"

"Mostly just my family, and everyone at Company. Lizzie, of course, and…"

"And Ava?" she finished, looking troubled. "Um- are you sure that'll go over well?"

"Not at all." He laughed shortly. "But I should at least try, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. You'll never know unless you try and all that." She started to smile, but the expression slipped away quickly. "Just…" He knew she wanted to say something, but she hugged him instead. "Good luck, Coop. And thanks. I'll make it up to you."

He shook his head. "Ashlee, really, don't worry about it. Nobody knew I was handing out presents this year. I just thought-"

"I know. I wish I'd thought about doing something like that, too."

Coop absently checked the napkins, the coffee, and the sugar packets. Yes, they had more than enough for anyone wandering down Main Street who needed to warm up. "Well, you did try to set Lizzie up with a blind date," he pointed out.

She groaned. "Don't remind me." Another hesitation, then, "Look, Coop, don't worry about Ava, okay? I mean, I know you love her and everything, but if she'd pick Alan Michael over you then you should find someone a lot better."

"Thanks, Ashlee," he said, and tried to smile.

She blushed and nodded quickly, then set about clearing off the tables. Coop handled an approaching customer, pouring coffee and trading small talk, all the while thinking of his ex-girlfriend.

-

Lizzie opened one eye. "Henry?" she asked blurrily.

He crouched next to the couch, tucking the afghan around her. "Hi," he said softly. "I brought you a Valentine's present, but I don't have a lot of time to stay here."

She sat up, leaning against the end of the couch. "Present?" she echoed, rubbing her eyes. "For me?"

He held out a gift bag. "There's even something for Roxy," he added with a smile, and inwardly thanked Marina for helping him with the gifts. He'd had to get her something extra, of course, but her wrapping skills were good enough that it had been well worth it.

Lizzie reached into the bag curiously, smiling when she pulled out the large bone Coop had included, complete with a pink ribbon he'd tied sloppily around it. "Roxy will love it," she told him, then smiled even more when she took out the box of candy. "How did you know I was craving peanut butter cups?"

"I'm psychic," he said lightly, smiling back. It was nice to see her in a good mood.

"Thanks," she said, setting it all aside and bundling up under the afghan. He resisted the urge to help her tuck it closer to her sides. He was sure she was getting tired of his hovering. "You should have told me- I would have bought you something."

"It was a spur of the moment thing."

"Still-"

He vaguely wondered if he'd end up having this conversation with _everyone_. "How about a hug?"

She blinked. "A hug? That's it?"

"I could use one," he admitted. "Couldn't you?"

She took a deep breath. "Yeah," she said, looking away. "Yeah, I really could."

He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, circling the other around her waist. When she sagged against his side, her arms locked tightly around his back, he wanted to lean down and kiss the top of her head but didn't dare.

"Last month I bought Sarah a dress to wear today," she whispered, and gulped back a sob. "She would have looked so… I miss her, Coop."

He closed his eyes, leaned his head against hers. "I know."

"I miss her so much, all the time. It feels like… like she took part of me with her, too."

Coop had long since realized that Lizzie loved as she hated- intense and all-consuming. He'd watched her lose her father- twice, really. He'd waited patiently for her to let go of Coop himself- and he was startled to realize that that had happened less than a year ago. Funny, it felt like a lifetime.

Losing Sarah was worse than all of that. Coop has long since realized that. And he had also long since realized that there was only one thing he could say.

"I'm here."

She went still, then barely nodded. "Thank you," she whispered.

He stroked her hair, letting her remember and whisper and sob, and thought of Ava. Ava had needed him, too- to protect her from Sandy, to help her put her life back together after she lost her job at Outskirts, and most recently when she'd discovered the truth about her biological parents. But she had Alan Michael now. Even before that, she hadn't needed Coop in a long time, except maybe during that night after Tammy's death. A night she had spent with him, then walked away from. No, Ava didn't need him anymore… but Lizzie did.

He looked down at the small young woman in his arms, frowning thoughtfully. It was definitely something to consider.

-

Spaulding Enterprises was his final stop.

When he got there, he found Ava at her desk. Her hands slipped on the keyboard, and she quickly stood, pushing her chair back. "Coop," she said in a rush, obviously flustered. "I really don't have time, I have work and-"

"Oh I, I know," he interrupted, suddenly nervous himself. "I'm not going to stay, I just- wanted to give you this." He set the small package on her desk, then gave her a small smile. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ava."

She smoothed her skirt twice, then raised her chin. "You too, Coop," she said stiffly.

"Say hello to your boss for me."

He turned on his heel, heading out the way he'd come in.

Handing her the gift hadn't given him closure. It hadn't even come close. He was honest enough with himself to admit that he wouldn't be truly over Ava until she realized the truth about Alan Michael and came back to Coop, begging for a second chance. And she would. The man was a Spaulding, after all- his lies would catch up with him and destroy whatever it was he and Ava could build. She'd run to Coop, to safety… and he'd turn her away.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder, though Ava had long since faded from view. No, he wouldn't be over her yet, but at least he was one step closer to it.

At least now he knew that he _would_ be able to get over her.

His shoulders straightened and a smile slowly spread across his face as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the chocolate bar he'd purchased for himself. "Happy Valentine's Day, Henry," he murmured, and took a bite before leaving.


	3. With You

**Disclaimer:** This is purely a work of fiction, written for fun, not profit. I have nothing to do with Guiding Light, and no share in the ownership of it.

* * *

With You

Lizzie slipped her cell phone back into her pocket. "That was Reva," she reported. Coop ignored the pantry for a moment, focusing his attention on her, and she gave him a quick smile. "She's stuck in the waiting room, so she said to just go ahead and eat without her. But since she's not going to be here, if you'd rather leave that's fine." She looked down, refocusing her attention on gathering up the condiments that she'd gotten out for the sandwiches they had been planning to make. "I don't want you to think you're stuck with me or anything."

She heard him cross over to her. He rested his hand on her shoulder. "I don't want to leave," he assured her, waiting until she'd looked up again to smile at her. "And I've never felt like I'm stuck with you, Lizzie."

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Really."

She smiled and gave him a big hug. "Thanks, Coop."

"No problem," he replied, squeezing her side gently as he hugged her back. She jumped and swatted at his hand, and he laughed. "So let's make these- I'm starving."

She nodded. "Me, too," she said fervently, and snatched up the mustard before he could get to it. He laughed and they started sorting out potential ingredients and trading suggestions for what to make.


	4. Caretaker

**Disclaimer:** This is purely a work of fiction, written for fun, not profit. I have nothing to do with Guiding Light, and no share in the ownership of it.

* * *

Caretaker

Coop was good for Lizzie. Everyone, even her overprotective mother and former mother-in-law, quickly admitted as much. He got her out of her room, kept her moving, used his patience and good humor to take her mind off of things. Under his and Reva's constant care she slowly but surely began to put her life back together. She reluctantly agreed to go bowling, then enjoyed Coop's disbelief at her clear victory. They saw a movie together and she laughed until her stomach hurt. He and Buzz surprised her with free meals that made her smile. After a few months he and Reva even did her the greatest favor of all and talked Billy into giving her a job that gave her a sense of purpose and let her sharpen her wits instead of dwell on her grief.

But there were still days when she'd hide under the covers and pretend that life after Sarah's birth had been completely different; that Jonathan had stayed with her and even loved her, that Tammy had moved on with her life, that Lizzie herself hadn't completely lost her mind and tried so hard to keep her little family together that she'd ended up destroying it herself. That once, just once, something in her life had ended right and not left her even more desperate for the happiness that had always been just out of her reach.

Coop was very good at knowing to stop by on those days. Sometimes she'd barely started crying when he knocked, waited, then opened the door with the extra pass Olivia had long since given him. Lizzie would lie there, shoulders shaking with sobs, and he'd sit next to her on the bed.

He never spoke right away. He would just sit there, running his hand through her hair or along her back, his eyes as sad as hers. She knew that he was also frustrated that he couldn't make all her problems go away, and that he'd never really believe that him just being there for her made her life so much better.

Once she tried to convince him that he didn't have to sit with her on her bad days. "_I can get through them on my own. I'm used to it."_

He'd very firmly shaken his head. "_I'm barely helping you as it is, Lizzie. I'm not going to let you go through this alone. Not ever. Do you understand?"_

After all of that- or any of that, really- was it any wonder that she started to fall for him again?


	5. Young at Heart

**Disclaimer:** This is purely a work of fiction, written for fun, not profit. I have nothing to do with Guiding Light, and no share in the ownership of it.

* * *

Young at Heart

_(Spring 2007)_

Coop knew it was going to be an interesting visit as soon as he walked into Lizzie's room, when he found her looking through a photo album. For a moment he was afraid that it was Sarah's album and that it would be one of Lizzie's bad days, but then she looked over at him and smiled.

"Want to see the second cutest baby in the world?" she offered. "Mom brought it over a little while ago."

"The second cutest baby," he said dryly, walking over to her. "Gee, I wonder who that could possibly be."

She swatted his arm lightly, laughing. "No, look at me, I mean it!" she insisted, shifting over so that he could sit next to her. "Sarah looked more like Jonathan than like me, I think, but I was still so adorable."

"Let me see," he told her, leaning over her shoulder for a closer look. After only a few seconds he remarked, "She had your eyes. I mean, not the color, but there's still something about them…"

She smiled mistily. "You think so?"

"Definitely." He put his arm around her waist. Since she looked like she was going to start crying at any second, he quickly added, "So, when you were a kid-"

She gave a short laugh. "Things were either very good, or very bad. It was amazing when we lived in Arizona, just me and my parents…"

"And the very bad?" he asked softly, even though he already knew some of it. She had told him about her leukemia, of course, and he knew that she hadn't had a good experience at boarding school. Not even Lizzie at her craziest would have burned down a dormitory just for fun.

Lizzie sighed, staring off into space. "When I was little… well, first Daddy left us. That was when things started to go wrong. Then of course there was the leukemia, and Jim died, and Daddy divorcing Harley and Mom divorcing Edmund, and there was that time that Mom thought she was Lorelei, and then of course boarding school…" She shuddered. "Every time I thought things couldn't get worse, something else would happen. But I always thought that… that everything would be better when I grew up. That I could run my own life, and that I would be okay. That I wouldn't make the same mistakes as the rest of my family." Her short, quiet laugh held no humor at all. "So much for that."

Coop set her photo album aside and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin in her hair. "Lizzie, you've messed up," he said softly. "A lot. Nobody can argue with that. But you're doing better now, you know you are. And you're not so alone anymore. Think about all the people that care about you- Reva loves you, and your siblings love you, and Alan… well, he hasn't given up on getting you to move back to the mansion, if that counts for anything." She made a sound, something caught between a laugh and a sob. "You've won Buzz over again, and of course Billy won't stop bragging about what a great job you're doing at Lewis Construction. He's always telling everyone that he can't get by without you."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks, Coop. You always know what to say to make me feel better."

He kissed the top of her head lightly, then got up from the bed. "Do I?" he asked, voice quiet. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing anyone any good."

"Coop, you're trying to take care of me, Ashlee _and_ now Ava, too," she pointed out. "The fact that you can keep up with it all is amazing. Don't worry about me, okay? Just having you here at all is enough. I promise."

"Is it really?" he asked doubtfully. "Sometimes I feel like I'm failing all three of you. I mean, the last time I was visiting Ashlee in juvie I got this call from Ava, and she was really upset and needed to talk but of course I couldn't, and…"

_Shocking,_ Lizzie thought sourly. She'd never liked Ava, of course, but the other woman's behavior since her mugging had been downright ridiculous. It had even driven Lizzie to visit Ashlee herself so that they could try to figure out what she was up to together. And if Lizzie and Ashlee were going to willingly work together after their own messy history, the situation had to be bad. _And oh, I hope Ava's scheme blows up right in her face,_ she thought viciously. _I'd love to throw all that condescension and smugness from last year right back at her._

"Well you're always there when _I_ need you," she said aloud, trying to keep from showing how she felt about Ava. He looked back at her and she smiled again. "You don't trust me, Henry? Think about it. I'm a Spaulding. Why would I reassure you when I could complain instead?"

"I don't think that reminding me who your family is is the best way to prove your honesty," he teased.

She laughed. "But it _does_ prove that if I needed more from you I'd demand it or scheme to get it."

"True, very true," he said with a laugh.

"So while I have your attention, about those baby pictures," she said archly, getting up and going over to him. "How about showing me some of yours? I bet you were just the cutest little baby-"

"Oh, no, we're not bringing out _my_ baby pictures," he insisted, backing away from her, holding his hands up, palms out. "Don't you still have more of _yours_ to show off, anyway?"

"Oh but I want to see yours," she debated with a grin. "You're cute _now_ without hair, so I'm sure you were then, too-"

"Hey, I have hair!" He looked as insulted as he sounded.

She cast him a doubtful glance. "Sure you do, Henry."

"I _do_."

"Aww, don't pout." She hugged him, then offered a winning smile. "I like your short hair. You know that. I always like your hair- except for your facial hair. I'm sorry, but that just does _not_ work for you."

"Oh that just _destroys_ my ego," he informed her over the sound of her laughter. "_Destroys_ it. And here I was planning to grow out one of those long beards, you know-"

"Oh, ew, don't even _joke_ about that!" she said in disgust, wrinkling her nose, then hitting his shoulder again.

"Ow! Hey!"

"You deserve it for _that_ mental image, you jerk."

"See if I ever show you _my_ baby pictures. No, come on, _don't_ look at me like that… Lizzie… oh, fine, I'll bring them with me the next time I see you."


	6. Chick Flicks and Tickle Fights

**Disclaimer:** I have nothing to do with Guiding Light, and I am not profiting from this story in any way.

* * *

Chick Flicks and Tickle Fights

_Spring 2007_

Lizzie snuggled up to him, smiling as he kissed the top of her head. "Thanks for letting me pick the movie this time," she said, her eyes on the screen.

Coop sighed. "You and your chick flicks."

"Hey, I don't _always_ want to watch chick flicks!" she protested, twisting to look indignantly up at him. "I sat through both seasons of _Supernatural_ with you-"

"Yeah, to look at Dean."

"Jensen Ackles," she corrected loftily. "Using his real name is more respectful."

He snorted. "Yeah, Lizzie, I'm really sure he cares."

"You never know. _And_ I wanted to watch _X-Men_ last month-"

"So you could see Wolverine- sorry, Hugh Jackman," he added in a tone that made it clear he wasn't sorry at all.

She swatted his arm. "Coop!" she said, exasperated. "How shallow do you think I am?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"You jerk." She bopped him again, then changed tactics and started tickling his sides. He burst out laughing, then snaked an arm around her waist to hold her still and returned the favor until she was giggling too hard to remember to move her fingertips. "Coop, stop," she panted between giggles, squirming in his hold.

He kept his arm around her, poised his hands threateningly near her stomach. "Are you going to behave yourself?" he asked, pretending to be stern.

She didn't answer until his fingertips dug into her sides. "Eep, Henry!"

"Well?"

"All right, all right!" One hand crept sideways until she touched the nearest sofa pillow. As soon as Coop let her go, she grabbed it and hastily turned, catching him in the face with it and giggling at his shocked expression.

"Spaulding," she said impishly, leaping to her feet so that she'd be out of grabbing distance.

He shook his head, grabbing the throw pillow that he'd been half sitting on. "Oh, it's on now," he said darkly, and swung. She dodged, giggling, and sprinted to the other side of her hotel room, the movie forgotten.

* * *

Out of breath from the pillow fight, they collapsed back onto the sofa, leaning against each other for support.

"Oh, we missed the first twenty minutes," Lizzie sighed once she had her breath back, watching Jude Law court Cameron Diaz on the television screen.

"I've already seen it," Coop assured her, "and it's one of your favorite movies, so I'm sure you know what you missed."

She blinked, surprised. "You saw it? With Marina, or-"

"No, Ava and I saw it when it came out." His smile faded.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she said quickly, covering his hand with hers. "I should have guessed."

He sighed, then gave her a smile that was obviously forced. "Well, you were almost right about Marina. She bought it a few weeks ago and tried to get me to watch it with her then."

"Poor Uncle Henry," she teased, squeezing his hand.

He grimaced. "I'm younger than she is."

"My mom thought she was going to be having my granddad's baby," she retorted. "If we're competing about whose family is weirder, I win."

"And you're proud of that?" he asked, giving her an odd look.

"Didn't Buzz ever teach you to be quiet during a movie?" she returned, picking up the popcorn bowl from the coffee table.

He shook his head, disbelieving. "You just won't let me get the last word in, will you?"

"Nope." She smiled sweetly, then held the bowl out to him. "Popcorn?"


	7. Moving On

**Disclaimer:** I have nothing to do with Guiding Light, and I am not profiting from this story in any way.

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_(Author's Note: As part of this story's reality, Lizzie did not go to Alan looking for the kind of vengeance that he ended up handing out. Last month on the show she did admit to Jonathan that she knew what he was capable of, and I'm so proud of her for that, but for the sake of this narrative let's all just pretend like she didn't and only wanted him to blackmail Jonathan or something, okay? And as for why Reva's so nice to her during this, even after Lizzie's admittance? Guilt. Maybe someday I'll write a sequel where Lizzie finds out about Jonathan & Sarah and she and Reva go nine rounds and get to discuss her deal with Alan then, but that won't happen this time.)_

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**Moving On**

_**(Spring 2007)**_

Coop was in England for two weeks, spending some long overdue time with his brother.

It didn't bother Lizzie, of course. Not at all. She liked having more time to herself, seeing more of Reva and Billy, and generally living a life without Henry Cooper Bradshaw. She really did.

"So how much longer until Coop comes home?" Reva asked, passing Lizzie the bag of cheddar cheese.

"Four days," Lizzie instantly replied, her hand tightening on the bag. "He gets in at eleven o'clock." Remembering herself, she shook her head and set about pouring the cheese on top of the lasagna. She and Reva had both been feeling oddly domestic- and not quite sane- and were thus braving another cooking lesson. It had seemed like a great distraction to how she'd been Coopless for ten days. _Stop it, Lizzie. He's just a friend, it's not that big a deal._

"Have you heard from him while he's been away?" Reva's tone and posture were very casual. Strange, since she usually noticed when Lizzie was in these moods.

"He's called a few times," Lizzie admitted. _And e-mailed. And texted. And you really need to start deleting them, because hanging on to a four-word text is just plain pathetic._

"That's good," Reva said brightly. "I know you miss him a lot when he's not around, so at least you haven't been completely Coop-free this week."

"Oh no, I'm fine without Coop," she insisted. "I mean, he's my friend, and he's wonderful, but I can handle being on my own."

Reva looked at her, and for a moment Lizzie was sure her former mother-in-law had seen right through that. Then she just smiled. "I know that, Lizzie."

"Oh. Well, good."

She squeezed her shoulder. "Move aside a second, will ya? Looks like this baby's ready for the oven."

"Oh, sure." Lizzie shifted to the side, watching as Reva put the lasagna in to cook. "Reva? You don't think I spend too much time with Coop, do you?"

Reva shut the door, then turned to look at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know." She looked away, drumming her fingertips on the countertop. "I just… sometimes I think I want to be around him too much. He makes me happy, Reva, but if Jonathan and Sarah are dead… should I be happy? If it wasn't for me-"

"Lizzie, don't you ever say that," Reva said sharply. "Jonathan and Sarah's deaths are _not_ your fault."

"I asked Granddad to help me!" Lizzie took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears. "I asked Jonathan to meet me the night Tammy died! If I'd just let him go and tried to get custody of Sarah in court-"

"Lizzie, listen to me," Reva said firmly, grasping her shoulders. "Their deaths are _not_ your fault. You didn't know what Alan was going to do, and you wouldn't have gone to him if you had."

"I should've known!" Lizzie choked and gave up, letting the tears fall. "I should have… He shot Daddy, he tried to have me locked up, and all those times… I just wanted him to pay Jonathan to leave town, Reva. That's all, I swear. I told him that, but he didn't listen, and it's my fault!"

Reva shook her head. "Lizzie, you were wrong to go to Alan, but it is _not your fault_ that he decided to kill Jonathan."

"I told Jonathan to meet-"

"_You didn't know_." Now her eyes were filling with tears, too. "You didn't know. You should have known better than to ask Alan for help, but Lizzie, no one blames you. Especially not me. I promise."

"I just wanted to be happy-"

"I know, sweetheart," she murmured, hugging her. "I know. I want that for you, too. That's why I'm glad that you're putting your life back together. You're friends with Coop, and you have a great job with Billy- we're all so proud of you."

Lizzie tried to smile. "And I have you," she added. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

To her confusion, Reva averted her eyes. "I try," she said with an unsteady laugh. Then she smiled and gave her another quick hug. "And I don't know what I'd do without you, either."

Lizzie laughed tearfully. "Well, you'd have missed out on some burnt meals."

Reva laughed, too. "At least we have fun trying. And that's all you can do with anything in life, sweetie, is try. Especially with relationships."

She had begun to wipe away her tears, but now her hand froze mid-motion. "You're not talking about me and Coop, are you?" she asked hastily. "Because we're just friends. Ashlee's pretty sure that he and Ava are going to try dating again, anyway."

"Yes, well, we'll see how long that lasts," Reva said dryly. "And no, I didn't specifically mean you and Coop. I know you need more time before you start dating again. But I might as well tell you this now, since we're already talking about it- if you think you are ready to start seeing someone, whether or not it's Coop, don't be afraid of upsetting anyone. We want you to be happy, Lizzie. Even Alan."

Lizzie smiled faintly. "Thanks, Reva. That means a lot."

"And you mean a lot to me," she replied, smiling back. "Now, how about getting out the lettuce. You should have enough time to make a salad."

"By myself?" she asked doubtfully, wiping the back of her hand against her eyes.

"Not even you can set the kitchen on fire while making a salad," Reva assured her.

"I hope you're right." They both laughed and Lizzie went to the fridge, feeling better than she had in awhile.


End file.
